Braden's curveball

STOCKTON - Oakland Athletics pitcher Dallas Braden has been a proud ambassador of Stockton since gaining fame for his perfect game in 2010, but there were mixed reactions to his outburst after he brandished a baseball bat during a community meeting Wednesday at Victory Park.

STOCKTON - Oakland Athletics pitcher Dallas Braden has been a proud ambassador of Stockton since gaining fame for his perfect game in 2010, but there were mixed reactions to his outburst after he brandished a baseball bat during a community meeting Wednesday at Victory Park.

The incident occurred near the steps of The Haggin Museum, where about 300 area residents gathered for an anti-crime meeting organized by Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones and Councilwoman Susan Eggman. Braden had angry words with Jones, claiming he and his grandmother were victims of the city's crime wave, and said he was selling his Stockton home because he no longer feels safe in his hometown.

"That's obviously a personal choice of his, and I don't know what is really behind all of that," Stockton Mayor Ann Johnston said. "I just know that every day I meet people who are not giving up on this city, who are going to stay here and fight for this city, just like all those people who were there (Wednesday) night.

"It's all about attitude. Most of the people I talk to are frustrated, but they know the solution is here with the people in this community. I don't hear people saying, 'I'm packing up and leaving.' They're saying, 'I'm going to stick with this. I'm going to fight.' Tough choices have to be made, but we're in this together."

Braden, a Stagg High School graduate, reportedly became agitated after Jones told residents police were doing all they could to stem the rise of violent crime in Stockton. Braden began shouting as Jones addressed the crowd. When he refused to stop, Jones told him, "We'll have you escorted out if you don't wait until the end."

Braden later told reporters he was the victim of an attempted carjacking and his grandmother's apartment was burglarized last week. On Sept. 20, Braden arrived at the scene of a car crash driving a Cadillac CTS with a dent in the driver's side door. He told police he had been attacked in his car and got upset when they said they couldn't immediately help him pursue the alleged assailant.

According to a police report, Braden shouted: "I'm Dallas Braden. I'm a multimillionaire and I pitch for the Oakland A's. I pay your (expletive) salary. That's why I hate you (expletive)."

Braden said Wednesday he has put his Stockton home up for sale because police aren't doing enough to keep residents safe.

"I'm out here because I've been lied to my entire life here, and I hate to see these people get lied to like this," Braden told CBS 13 News. "I've already put my home on the market. I'm out.

"I've fought for this community. I've given back to this community. This community raised me to be where I am today and to be lied to blatantly by the guy who's supposed to be running the shots around here - I can't do anything. I have nobody to go to."

Braden did not return voicemail or text messages and did not answer the door at his Stockton home Thursday.

Jones was unavailable for comment Thursday but issued the following statement: "We've been very transparent, accessible and responsive to the community. We continue to focus on crime and our community partnerships."

Officer Joe Silva, a spokesman for the Stockton Police Department, said Jones will continue to hold town-hall style meetings.

"There are risks and rewards to town halls," Silva said. "This (outburst) is one of those risks."

Johnston said Braden's outburst was "unusual." Eggman had more pointed words, saying Braden was disruptive and disrespectful.

Other community members reacted with sadness, saying it's a shame that one of Stockton's leading advocates feels the city is unsafe.

Braden, who has Stockton's 209 area code tattooed on his stomach, has sponsored Little Leaguers from single-parent homes and served Thanksgiving dinners to the homeless at Saint Mary's Interfaith Dining Room. In 2010, after pitching the 19th perfect game in major league history against the Tampa Bay Rays, Braden was awarded a key to the city and inducted into the Stockton Athletic Hall of Fame.

"This just kind of breaks my heart a little bit," said Gary Scott, executive director of the Stockton Athletic Hall of Fame. "He's given so much to the community and to the youth and been a role model. To see such a high-profile person become angry and lose his enthusiasm for the area is disheartening."

Frank Wanner, who coached Braden while he was playing at Stagg, shared similar sentiments.

"I hate to see him go," Wanner said. "When he got inducted into the hall of fame, I said, 'You know, you're pretty popular now. You could be elected mayor of Stockton.' That may not happen now, but he's got to do what he feels is right, and he will.

"I know his grandma is very precious to him, and he's not going to let anything happen to her. He'll do what's right for himself, but the community will feel the loss because of his prominence. He became prominent in our lives because of that perfect game. He is from this community and he reflects it, and right now it's hard times for Stockton. Hopefully we can pull together and work through this."

Johnston said she hopes Braden will remain in Stockton and continue his efforts to make a positive impact in the community.

"I would hope Dallas would stay," Johnston said. "He has contributed so much to the City of Stockton and so much to the image of the City of Stockton. We love having him here as a native son, and it's important for him to stand up and say that he, too, will fight for this city."